Inferno Rising
by Pyre the Pyro
Summary: In the war against the Akatsuki, Naruto gains an unlikely ally. In the past, they would have been enemies. But the ebony haired kunoichi has a dark secret, one that even she is left unaware. If this secret comes to light, will it be all it takes for his friend to become his enemy? Rated for oc's favorite language: vulgar. First story, so please r&r so I know if I'm doing a good job
1. Prologue: how it began

_"Where light exists, so do shadows."_

_I don't know who said this but I'm sure that somewhere in the sands of time, someone has. That being said, couldn't one also say, just as easily and truthfully, "where shadows exist, so does light"? Indeed one can._

_Everyone has heard the story of the Yondaime Hokage and the Kyuubi. The Kyuubi attacked Konoha, The Village Hidden in the Leaves, sixteen years ago. The Yondaime Hokage fought the demon fox and defeated it, sacrificing his life to do so. However, defeated... Does not always mean dead..._

_That is a story everyone has heard, regardless of whether one is a member of Konoha's populace, or is one of their many enemies. However, there is another story that involves the Yondaime and a Nine-tailed fox. This story began a few short months before the Yondaime sacrificed himself to save Konoha. It began in the Fire Country, in an area where most dare not travel due to fear of a curse hanging over the place. A curse that kills intruders with flames hotter than the sun, flames that cannot be extinguished through mortal means, flames rumored to spring forth from the maws of hell itself. The rumor is true for the blaze that lashes out at those who intrude is indeed hellfire. However, the only curse that plagues that place is all of the reckless daredevils that insist on trespassing on The Jigoyaku Clan's territory._

_Let me take you back sixteen years into the past._

_As the tall, spiky blonde haired man slowly navigated his way through a desolate wasteland, he could hardly believe that the area was actually a part of the Land of Fire, despite knowing it was true. One could not blame the Yondaime, for the volcanic-like terrain with black craggy rocks ascending from the oddly warm ground, which forms a path only visible to those who know to look for it, scarcely resembles the bright, leafy forest that most people imagine when they think about the Land of Fire. The air was hot and dry, and there was the ever-present scent of smoke in the air that burned his nostrils each time he inhaled._

_He reached the end of the path as he contemplated the extreme differences in the environment here and in Konoha but saw no change whatsoever in the area. The ebony stone wasteland stretched out across the land, resembling a pitch black sea more than dry ground._

_"Where am I to go now? I thought they said there would be an escort waiting for me at the end of the path..." the Yondaime asked himself aloud, not expecting the reply._

_"It took you long enough, Hokage." A feminine voice declared, seemingly from no where._

_The Yondaime's eyes widened in surprise as he looked up at the top of one of the pitch black slabs of granite. Sitting on the top was a woman who appeared to be in her late twenties to early thirties. She had white hair with crimson streaks, the streaks reminding him of his own wife's hair, and ivory eyes._

_"Are you to be my escort?" The Yondaime asked warily._

_"Indeed I am." The woman replied, jumping off the slab and landing with ease. "You certainly took your precious time, something we don't have to waste." Her words were accompanied by a dark glare._

_Yondaime held back the flinch that threatened to break through. He had heard many tales of the temper of young Jigoyaku women and had absolutely no desire to see for himself if the rumors were true. He quickly tried to remedy the mistake._

_"I apologize. I was not aware time was of the essence."_

_The woman gave a curt nod before walking away._

_"Come. We must hurry." Were the only words she gave in reply._

_Yondaime followed her despite the fact that she seemed to be leading him deep into the heart of no where when suddenly, she stopped. In front of them lay the gaping jaws of a less than inviting looking cave._

_"What-?"_

_The woman cut him off. "Come inside and we shall explain everything."_

_Yondaime paused before nodding and allowed her to lead him in._

_Inside the cave stood about fifteen people. Behind them was a large basket but he couldn't tell what was in it._

_"Minato Namikaze, Yondaime Hokage of Konohagakure, I wish it was under more pleasant conditions that I could be meeting you." An elderly man greeted him._

_Minato nodded. "Can you tell me what it is you need? The Jigoyaku clan hasn't been heard nor seen in seventy years. The shinobi world believed you to have gone extinct. What is it that forced you to reveal your existence?"_

_The old man sighed gravely. "My elder sister, who was clan head, has died. She was the Jinchuriki of the white Nine-tailed fox."_

_Minato's brow furrowed in confusion. "There are two...?" He asked worriedly._

_The elderly man chuckled at his confusion. "The story of the Sage of Six Paths tells of how he split the Juubi into nine pieces, correct?"_

_Minato nodded a confirmation._

_"That story is a lie. He split the Juubi not into nine pieces but into ten." The man paused for a moment to take a breath before continuing. "The white Kyuubi is the physical embodiment of the Juubi's benevolence. She isn't quite as volatile as her male counterpart."_

_Minato nodded as a wave of relief flooded his body. "That is reassuring to hear."_

_The man replied gravely, "What is not reassuring to ____see__ is __**this.**__" He stepped aside, revealing the small infant and the white fox kit with nine tails in the basket._

_Minato paled and whispered, "Why am i here?"_

_The elderly old man looked him in the eye and sadly replied, "You know why, Minato-san. Our clan isn't adept with the sealing arts, but you are. Please, Minato-san. Kasai must have a Jinchurikii at such a vulnerable stage!"_

_Minato gazed sadly at the sleeping black haired infant girl. He didn't want to put any child through the pain of being a Jinchurikii, especially if it was for the bijuu's sake and no one else's._

_"Whose child is she?" He asked softly._

_The elderly man was quiet for a moment before answering simply, "She... was my sister's suicide."_

_Minato turned away from the child and gave him a very odd look._

_"Our clan is very different than what you are used to, Minato-san. A woman may not become pregnant for many years after the act, around seventy, in this case." He awkwardly supplied._

_Minato nodded. "I see... May I ask who her father was?"_

_He just shook his head. "Dead. He died a long time ago. Shortly after Hashirama Senju was decided as Shodaime Hokage."_

_Minato persisted, "But who was he? What was his name?"_

_The older man slightly relented. "He was a very unhappy Uchiha, that is all you need to know."_

_Minato, knowing he would recieve no further information on the matter, asked, "What type of seal do you want me to use?"_

_The woman who led him down there spoke up._

_"The Summoner's Seal would be the best choice."_

_Minato turned to give the woman a questioning look. "Are you sure? She'd be able to summon her later and-"_

_The woman cut him off, glaring, "Of course I'm sure! The ability to summon her later in life is the point of using the Summoner's Seal!"_

_Minato, despite not agreeing, nodded his consent._

_The woman's eyes narrowed. As she opened her mouth to give what would most certainly be a tongue-lashing, the old man cut her off._

_"That is enough, Karina! Minato-san, if you would?"_

_Karina snarled in displeasure and crossed her arms while Minato began the process..._


	2. Chapter One: A Chance Encounter

_The sound of rustling leaves filled the air on the windy day in The Land of Fire. Deep in the heart of the country, a lone figure followed a winding path through the forest._

_From a distance, she could be mistaken for an ordinary woman. However, if seen up close, only a fool couldn't see that she was a kunoichi. Only a fool... Or a pervert._

******MY POV******

As I traversed the path through the forest, I couldn't help my discomfort. I felt as though something was going to jump out at me at any moment. Leafy trees and flowering bushes weren't quite what I was used to seeing in the Land of Fire. It wasn't my first time to see how Konoha got its name, but it still unnerved me every time I had to go through this forest to get home.

Hearing people ahead of me on the path, I put up my "mask" and wiped all emotion from my face, as I had been trained to do. I noticed two voices, one young and one old. They were talking very loud but I didn't bother to listen to what they were talking about. Having no desire to converse with someone who would only waste my time, I kept walking, determined not to stop for a conversation. I even considered going into the trees and walking by them but it seemed best just to follow the path in front of me.

No more than ten minutes later, I was able to see who the voices belonged to. One was a vaguely familiar blonde boy who couldn't be much younger than me, and his companion was an old man with long, spiky white hair. The blonde's seemed to remind me of someone I had met the last time I was in the Konoha. I barely noticed but when I did I saw that the old man's eyes lit up with delight when he saw me.

_A pervert, isn't that just LOVELY?_

As I approached them, the delight in the pervert's eyes turned into suspicion. I kept my emotionless face on to see what he would say next. "Hello there! What brings such a lovely young lady to such a dangerous part of the forest?" He greeted me with an obviously fake smile. His flirtatious attitude made me want to puke right there but I kept my mask on. I stopped and looked at him through narrowed eyes.

The boy flinched, a gleam of recognition flashed through his eyes. "Is something the matter?" I asked coolly. The boy was quiet for a moment before meeting my onyx gaze with his own sapphire. He replied with an emotion I could not recognize weaved deep into his tone. "It's just... It's been awhile... Since the last time I saw an Uchiha's cold onyx eyes... And it wasn't on pleasant terms either..."

My eyes narrowed dangerously as my crimson Sharingan answered my summons. The instant they formed, I felt the cold touch of metal against the back of my neck. I couldn't stop a small smirk from appearing on my face. If they wanted a fight, a fight they would get. The old man spoke lowly, but his words were very clear. "Come quietly and no one will have to get hurt."

I turned around to face him with a sable brow raised.

"Oh? Are you arresting me? On what grounds, may I ask?" I inquired, amused. He stared at me for a moment thinking for a reasonable reason. He hesitated with his reply, "No, I am not arresting you." I raised a brow at his reply and eyed the blade in his hand. "Oh? So you're kidnapping me because you have no grounds to arrest me?" I asked with a dark look.

He shifted uncomfortably under my stare. I smiled at him reassuringly, earning myself a very odd look from both males. A very fun idea sprang into mind as I eyed them back. "If you're truly determined to make me come with you, how about I just give you a reason to arrest me?" I offered, holding back a malevolent smile.

The old man eyed me warily. The boy seemed to take a couple steps away. "A reason such as...?" He questioned, putting up his guard. 'Smart man, not trusting me.' I thought for only a short moment. "You look like you're a VERY important man..." I implied with a suggestive tone. He smirked and wrapped an arm around my waist, immediately dropping his guard. 'But then again, who is smart.' I mentally growled.

_Stupid old man._

"Indeed I am." He answered smugly, tightening his hold around my waist. I clenched my fist and a vein appeared on my forehead at his actions. "Then I'm going to be in trouble for this." I said with an evil tone. He seemed to be confused and loosened his grip slightly. He raised an eyebrow.

"For what...?" He asked truly confused. A malevolent gleam entered my eyes. I grabbed the arm around my waist and flung him into the air, lighting him ablaze as I threw. My eyes lit up as I watched him burn but not die. I snarled, "For that." 'It's a shame a pervert like that is such an important person, or else I wouldn't have spared him' The blonde boy sprang into action pulling out a kunai as he went to help his Sensei.

I watched the man fly, burning, through the air and land in a creek with a large splash. As he struggled to his feet, weighed down by his drenched clothes and moderately severe burns, I couldn't help but to smirk in satisfaction. I deep chuckle escaped my throat as the boy helped him out of the water.

The old man, once on his feet, gave me a very displeased look. "And what was that for?" He demanded in such an angry tone like he did not know what he had done. "You touched me. Don't touch me," Was my simple reply dripped in venom to him. The old man's eyes narrowed dangerously but I did not back down. Instead, I intensified my glare at him and wiped the smile off my face.

"Who are you? There are only two survivors of the Uchiha clan yet here you stand bearing the Sharingan!" He scrutinized me closely. I rolled my eyes at his inspection. He must have not heard of this. Such an important man should know this sort of thing. "I'm going to be interrogated by the Hokage, correct?" I asked, ignoring his questions.

The old man nodded, watching me warily. "Well, I don't like repeating myself so hold your questions until it's time to speak to the Hokage so I don't have to say anything other than my name twice." I responded making him nod slowly before straightening himself up.

"Very well then… My name is Jiraiya and the blonde is Naruto." the old man, Jiraiya told me. Naruto gave me a nod and a nervous smile before I gave my own reply. "Azarath," Was my only reply. They raised their brows at the lack of my last name but they did not give theirs so I did not give mine.

As we began to walk back in silence, Naruto seemed to want to end the peaceful silence. "You know Granny Tsunade?!" Naruto asked excitedly. I stared at him for a moment. Was this grandmother the Hokage? "I don't know who you're talking about." I stated bluntly, walking with them back the direction I came from.

Naruto appeared to deflate completely. Good, I wanted to walk in silence anyways. "Tsunade is the Godaime Hokage and the daughter of the Shodaime Hokage, Senju Hashirama." Jiraiya supplied. Why did everyone want to break the perfect silence!? I didn't give any response so we would return to the silence. I thought about what Jiraiya just told me as we travelled back down the path towards Konoha.

Senju Hashirama... For some reason the name made my blood boil. A low growl escaped my lips, surprising not just the two males I was travelling with but myself as well. "Do you...have something against the Shodaime?" Naruto hesitantly asked. I thought for a moment. Did I have something against a man who died long before I was born? And if I did, what was it?

The wind whispered the answer in my ear, as it always did when I needed an answer.

**Because he killed him.**

_He killed who?_

The wind gave no answer. "Wellllll? Do you?" Naruto's impatient voice interrupted my rather short lived conversation. I turned to look at him and gave the obvious answer. "Yes."

Naruto looked confused. "What could you possibly have against Senju Hashirama? The man died before your grandmother was born!" Jiraiya proclaimed.

"Oh, is that so, Because my mother was born over a hundred years ago. I believe Konohagakure has only been around for eighty years." I replied smugly. Jiraiya just stared at me in shock. They both seemed to be very confused by now.

"But... what do you have against him?" Naruto asked, confused.

I closed my eyes, frustrated at his inability to keep his mouth shut, and indulged his curiousity with, "Because. He killed him."

Naruto's head tilted to the side in confusion.

"Killed...who?" He asked, worried that I may seek revenge against the village.

I didn't hear him, however, for my eyes were focused on the entrance gates of Konohagakure, looming in front of us.


End file.
